Device for evaluating horses



April 29, 1952 A. E. STRUDWICK DEVICE FOR EVALUATING HORSES Filed June 26, 1950 .K m TW N w R T 5 i R U H T R A ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1952 DEVICE FOR EVALUATING HORSES Arthur E. Struolwick, Long Lake, Minrn, assignor, by direct andgmesne assignments, to Selector,

Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.

Application June 26, 1950, Serial No. 170,316

4 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in a device used to quickly and easily classify or-evaluate a horse or race, the construction of which is economical, simple yet effective.

*It is an'object of my invention to provide a device including a base plate having a series .of recesses formed therein adapted to retain a series of pivoted levers. The levers are pivoted in .the recesses but without the aid of a pin.

It isa further object of my invention to provide button on the levers which are secured by a pin to-the levers, the pin moveable within an arcuated slot formed in the base plate. As a result, the extension of the levers may easily be extended from the edge of the device by moving the button.

It is an additional object to provide a series of recesses in a base plate formed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the base plate whereby the extended ends of the levers may be quickly returned into the recesses by running the hand or finger against the extended extensions of the levers.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a simple back plate secured against the base plate which aids in maintaining the levers in place. It is a further object to provide levers having a curve formed therein so that the same provides a tension against the back plate and base plate. As a result the lever will remain in the extended or enclosed position.

It is an object to provide a simple device which may be held in the hand and operated by one hand or both hands in conjunction with a race form or knowledge of the operator regarding the ratings of a horse.

It is a further object to provide a symbol for each lever, the lever being extended when the horse considered merits a credit under any of the particular symbols. The symbols relate to past performance statistics available from a racing form. A daily newspaper-may be used for statistics on the given race with which a horse is to be classified with my device.

The symbols used in conjunction with each lever relate to considerations of highest speed rating, weight off from speed rating, speed rating same distance, best time at distance, weight off, stretch or pre stretch consideration, and the same in the last three races, in or out of class, down class if won in class, if won in higher class, if in money in class, and if in money in higher class. The symbols will be more clearly set forth and defined in the detailed specification. If the horse considered comes within the symbol designation, then the lever indicating the symbol extended from the device indicating a credit. Ahorse with thehighest numberof credits merits the highest classification. The same procedure is I ,bymeans of the screws '29 through 2 used for any number of horses in a given race, horse by horse.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device.

Figure 2 is a view of my device with the back plate removed.

Figure 3 is a section on the lineI3-3 of Fig.- ure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lever .removed from the device.

My device A, used for classifying horses, is composed of base plate l which forms the front piece of the device. The front base plate ID has formed therein the series of recessed areas II. The recessed areas II are formed by the shoulders l2 which are at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the base plate I 0. The recesses l i are further formed by the shoulders l3 which intersect the shoulders I2 thereby forming the openings 14. The shoulders l2 and I3 join at the semicircular recessed portion |5 which form bearings or pivot points for the inner ends l6 of the levers H.

I provide the stops Hi, the top surfacesof which are flush with the remainder of the plate l0, above the recessed areas .I I. The sides IQ of the stops 18 are in line with the shoulders I3. The sides 20 of the stops I8 are formed so that they engage the edge 2| of the levers ii when the levers I! are retracted within the recess H and out of view as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Extending through the base of the recessed portions H are the arcuated slots 22 in which the pins 23 may move, the pins 23 being secured to the upper face of the levers I! and the buttops 24 which are used to move the levers I! so as to expose the outer end 25 of any of the levers The edge 25 of the lever ll abuts the shoulder l2 when the lever I! is retracted, and the edge 21 of the lever l'l abuts the shoulders l3 and i9 when the lever I! has the end portion 25 thereof exposed. The lever ll is formed of thin flat material and has a slight arch or curve formed therein so that it bears against the inner surface of the plate l2 to provide a tension so that the lever will remain in the selected position.

In assembling the device the levers H are placed in position and the buttons secured by means of the pins 23 to the levers ll. The flat surfaced back plate 23 is then secured to the inner side of the base plate l9 shown in Figure 2 the thr ade {holes formed in 'the plate H).

With the device assembled as above stated and as found in Figure 1 any one of the tabs 25 may be exposed merely by moving the proper button 24.

Printed on the outer face of the front base plate I adjacent the openings 3| formed by the recesses I l are the following symbols and what is represented: (The necessary information to use in evaluating or classifying a horse'in a race with my device is found in a racing form).

1. HSR, highest speed rating of the horse, and the tab adjacent is pushed out only if the horse considered is one of the four in the race with the highest speed rating.

2. WOSR, weight off from speed rating, this tab being pushed out if the horse has less weight on his back than at the day he made his best speed rating.

3. SRSD, speed rating same distance, this tab is exposed for credit if the horses highest speed rating was accomplished at the distance in the race being analyzed.

4. BTAD, best time at distance, or best time the horse has ever made at the distance for the race being analyzed. This credit is applicable to only the four horses showing the best time at the distance.

5. WODB, weight off from distance best, this tab being pulled for credit if the horse carries in the race at hand less than he did at the best time he made for the distance.

6. F'3SPS, this tab is exposed for credit if the horse was one of the first three in the stretch or pre-stretch on the racing form information of any race disclosed.

7. F3SPL3, this tab is exposed for credit if the horse was one of the first three in the stretch or pre-stretch of the last three races.

8. 10, in class, this tab is exposed for credit if horse in same clarning class.

9. DC, down class, the tab being exposed for credit if a horse had been running in a handicap stake race and was running in a claiming race he would be dropping in class.

10. WC, won in class, the tab is exposed if the horse had won in the same class for which he is entered in a givenrace.

11. WHC, won in higher class, the tab is exposed for credit if the horse is to run an allowance race but had won a handicap overnight or a handicap stake race.

12. IMC, in money in class, the tab is exposed for credit if the horse had previously run in the same class in which he is to run and came first, second or third.

l3. IMI-IC, in money in higher class, the tab being exposed for credit if the horse under consideration is to run in a $4,000 claiming race but had run first, second or third in a $5,000 claiming race.

With my device a horse may be evaluated on the 13 points above set forth. If a given horse has 11 tabs exposed on my device after using the same as outlined above, and another horse has only 9, the first mentioned horse has a value greater than that of the second mentioned. The tabs extended may easily be hidden or pushed into the recesses l I by running the finger or hand against the same from rightto left looking at the device in Figure 1 due to my construction. The tabs may, of course, be also moved inwardly by using the buttons 24.

It is apparent that my device may be used to conveniently judge or evaluate variouskinds of animals or objects under different conditions by scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a register, a .base plate, a series of substantially V-shaped recesses formed in said base plate obliquely to the longitudinal axis thereof, a series of spring arms operable in said recesses, said spring arms having semi-circular ends, semi-circular shoulders formed in said recesses against which said semi-circular ends of said spring said arms pivot, means for movin the free ends of said arms into and partially out of said recesses, and a back plate secured to said base plate to cover and maintain said arms in said recesses.

2. In a device for classifying horses, a base plate having a series of recesses formed therein obliquely to the longitudinal axis of said plate and extending to the edge of said plate, said recesses having a semi-circular inner end, a back plate for said base plate, a series of lever arms having semi-circular inner ends adapted to pivot within said semi-circular inner ends of said recesses, means for actuating said arms whereby the outer free end of any of said arms may be extended beyond said plate or concealed within said recesses.

3. A device for evaluating horses including a base plate having a series of recesses formed therein, said recesses being formed at an acute angle with relation to the longitudinal axis of said base plate and interconnecting one with the other, a series of lever arms having a semi-circular inner end adapted to fit within said recesses having a portion extendable beyond the edge of said base plate, the inner portions of said recesses being semi-circular in which said semicircular inner ends of said lever arms pivot, said base plate having an arcuated slot formed therethrough into each of said recesses, a series of buttons, means for securing said buttons through said slots to said lever arms, and a back plate secured to the recessed side of said base plate to maintain said lever arms in said recesses.

4. In a device for evaluating animals, a base support plate, said support plate having a series of recessed shoulders formed therein at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said base plate, said shoulders terminating in a semi-circular portion, spring lever arms having a semi-circular end portion adapted to pivot in the semi-circular portion of said recessed shoulders, 21. back plate secured to said base support plate, means for moving the free ends of said lever arms into or out of said recesses.

ARTHUR E. STRUDVVICK.

REFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Larkin Aug. 8, 1911 

